Manchester City have sign Croatia midfielder, Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.
Kovacic’s move has brought his five-year stint at Chelsea to an end – having initially joined on loan from Real Madrid in August 2018 before sealing a permanent transfer 11 months later.
Across his time at Stamford Bridge, Kovacic has scored six goals in 221 appearances and helped the Blues claim four trophies in total; UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
Kovacic’s contract was set to expire at the end of June 2024 and with incoming Chelsea manager – Mauricio Pochettino set to revamp his squad, the club opted to sell Kovacic to Manchester City in a transfer deal thought to be around £30m in total after opting not to offer a fresh contract.
Speaking about his decision to join the treble-winning champions, Kovacic commented: “This is a brilliant move for me, and I cannot wait to get started with City,” upon confirmation of his four-year contract until June 2027.
Kovacic also praised his new teammates for their treble-winning performances last season, as he added: “Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are – for me, they are the best in the world.
“The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there.
“To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer.”
The Croatian though is aware that he still has “plenty of learning and developing to do, and I know under Pep’s management I can become a better player, which is really exciting for me.”
Kovacic will now enjoy a off-season break before joining up with his teammates in mid-July but is eager to set himself a target, as he quipped: “I want to help this club stay at the top and win more trophies.”
City’s Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain described Kovacic as “an excellent footballer”, who can add versatility as he explained: “He can play as a 6 or an 8, has plenty of experience at top level clubs and he understands the Premier League.
“It was a very simple decision to bring him to City because he has the tactical and technical qualities we are looking for in a midfielder.”
Chelsea issued the following short statement on Kovacic’s departure: “A consummate professional who captained the side on occasion last season, we thank Kova for all his efforts on and off the pitch during his time at Stamford Bridge.”
Kovacic meanwhile took to Twitter to pay tribute to Chelsea as he tweeted:
It’s been an incredible pleasure to play for such a great club & win some of the biggest trophies in the sport.
Chelsea is a club I have loved every second of being at but the time has come for me to move on.
See you soon, Mateo pic.twitter.com/zvTc9XrhBc
— Mateo Kovacic (@mateokovacic8) June 27, 2023
Kovacic represents Croatia in international football in which he has scored five goals in 95 international appearances, and was part of the squad which finished runner-up at 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia then in third place at 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
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